15 Responses to “Oakhurst Elementary Demolition Begins”

My girl spent a very happy year (03/04) with her tiny kindergarten class in that warm, bright, space. I think the adult/student ratio was 1:4 when you counted the teacher, parapro, and full time grandpa. While it’s amazing to see the changes, I feel sure the thing that hasn’t changed is the love and dedication of the Oakhurst staff. Feeling very thankful for CSD.

My son used to correct me all the time on construction vehicle nomenclature. Yours will soon too. Where do they learn this stuff? Do day cares and preschools have vehicle nomenclature flash cards? Ditto for Thomas the Tank Engine nomenclature. God forbid that I confuse Annie and Claribel.

Spend that money! I’m sorry, but what is wrong with Westchester? The whole city is only 4 miles wide, it’s not that far and lord knows we re-figure zones all the time. Let the admin either use trailers or rent a space. Our teacher need to be paid for all the hard work they do and the continual spending of our school is out of hand in my opinion.

I’m sure I’m going to get all sorts of snarky remarks for saying that, but it is how I feel after being in the school system for 10 years.

My understanding is that both are needed. The addition to Oakhurst AND Westchester reopened. Plus money spent on construction comes out of different pot than money for operations, which funds teachers. Not spending on construction won’t result in better teacher salaries, more teachers, or smaller class sizes. So school systems have little incentive to hold back on building.

But certainly Westchester never needed to be closed in the first place. The unofficial but real words of a Board member at the time was “If we close a school on the South side….” (College Heights which was down to 90 students, even after Fifth Avenue being closed) “…then we have to close a school on the North side.” And then it was Clairemont fighting to keep their school open (“Save our K-5 schools”) and then a surprise closure of Westchester before those parents could advocate successfully. School systems have the advantage that parents have short memories and a limited period of activism—it takes a few years after their kids enter in preK, K, or first grade to notice problems and figure out concerns, questions, and positions. Then somewhere around 6th grade, parents realize that they have to refocus on their own child’s needs before it’s too late. School systems can usually wait out any parent/community advocacy that they don’t like.

What you are saying is completely logical. Where funds come from and what they are used for seems to be a silly system. Not only do we build, but we build like money is of no object. 4/5 academy has continually boasted of it’s ‘state of the art’ building. Did we really need it to be quite so fancy? Kids don’t learn more in more aesthetically pleasing environments. Caring, hardworking teachers are how kids learn.

Now that my child is in high school, let me tell you, you are right. Advocating for her is an all day job. IMHO, the high school is not nearly as up to par on the part of the teachers as the lower grades. Renfroe wasn’t great, but things have really gone down hill since HS. The admin there is completely out of touch. Sorry, getting off topic, but it’s sad that all the time and money seems to go to the lower grades.

I have long been saying Phyllis Edwards is out of touch with the changing face of Decatur whose space planning talent and judgement are on par with that of my elderly, three-legged, blind and deaf Jack Russell. Of course, I get attacked by all the people around here who seem to think she is the savior of our schools (of course, those of us who predate Phyllis Edwards know better).

She may make good decisions in the education realm, but her inability to listen to what is going on this community is costing us.

Sometimes it’s hard to know how much a Superintendent isn’t listening vs. the staff right under him/her aren’t listening so the information filtering up isn’t adequate or is self-serving. It can be hard to tell the difference.

Sorry, but my comment didn’t appear and I didn’t want to send again if I was being censored

What is wrong with Westchester? Why can’t the admins use trailers or find another space? Lord knows the district has been rezoned over and over, what’s one more time? The spending of our school system is out of hand. The teachers should be paid more money for all the hard work they do for our students, but our school just spends and spends on ‘state of the art’ buildings and gadgets. The money per student spent is about the same as high end private schools, but we still are asked to fund raise and send in supplies.

I’m sure I will receive some snarky replies for saying this, but I do feel that is the truth after spending 10 years in the school system as a parent.